Wake on LAN

Like any other application of its kind, Wake on LAN enables you to remotely control the power state of computers in your network by sending a special message. On the other end, the target computers must be configured to respond when receiving such a message.

The wake-on-LAN packet that this application can generate can be sent over the network to start the target workstations. In other words, you practically broadcast a message throughout the network and the computers that are priorly configured to respond should do so.

Wake on LAN requires no installation. In fact, it is up and running as soon as you double-click on the main executable in the decompressed archive file.   The modern-looking interface makes working with the application a breeze. Automatic discovery is in place and the application displays a suggestion of the IP range to scan. You simply have to hit the “Search” button to have Wake on LAN retrieve a list of the workstations in the given network. The application can also run a deep scan to detect other hosts in the network.

The list of computers in the network is displayed in an organized table, together with their IP addresses, the PC name and the MAC address, the domain and the status (online / offline). New hosts can be easily added to this list by filling up a simple form. Note that every filed in the table is editable, including the “Comments” section, where you can type in any note to take into consideration.

The packet that Wake on LAN creates sends the standard “wake up” signal, but the application also allows you to power-on, restart or shutdown a computer remotely. The restart or shutdown timeout can be customized in the “Settings” window.

You can configure the wake-on-LAN port number and instruct the application to use directed broadcast by specifying the IP address of the target workstation. Unfortunately, there are no options to ping a host or send network messages or instructions to the target computer, so you will have to stick to the “Net Send” command via the Windows console to do so.

Wake on LAN is a simple application, no different from the other of its kind. While it brings nothing new to the table, it does provide an install-free package, and it comes with a clean and modern interface for you to enjoy.